In Memoriam
by Moonchild10
Summary: Slightly BBRaeish oneshot.On the anniversary of Terra's 'death', the Titans pay a visit to honor her memory. written before Things Change


**Disclaimer: I own nothing! **

**This is a one-shot done way back in September as part of a project with my buddy James. It's a short one, but I hope you enjoy it anyway (:**

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Beast Boy gave a shiver , wrapping his arms around himself and following Cyborg's retreating back up closer to the colder air and finally out into the exposed chill of the section that caught the most draft. Snuggling down deeper into his purple hoodie and finally adjusting to the cool air, he stopped shaking and loosened his grip on the candles he was carrying in his fist. He and his small procession of his friends wound a path up the rocky knoll, working their way through twisted clumps of hardened lava that made up the slanting floor of the old warehouse. Finally reaching the topmost peaks of reddish, warped rock, the small group stopped, standing in the chill for a moment, smoky breath twisting delicate white tendrils in the air before their mouths. There was a silent pause, the same thing going through all of their minds, and then finally Robin dropped to his knees on the bumpy ground, sitting one of the small white tea candles he was holding down on the base of the statue before him, and then the next, and the next, and after a moment of cold-induced stupor, the other four followed suit, sitting candles down on the cold stone and striking matches, lighting the candles. The small clumps of flame and light brightened the foreboding air of the warehouse a bit, and the shivering died down a bit.

Cyborg cleared his throat a bit. "Well alright, let's get this going," he said, pulling at the scarf around his neck a bit to loosen it. The other four nodded simultaneously. "OK then. Y'all know why we're here." Cyborg's eyes raised for a moment to the stark, stone form near them. It was a girl made of pure stone, arms outstretched, face lifted toward the sky, long hair fanning out behind her. "I just thought since…it's been a over a year since it happened…we could all just say a few words about this. Just to make sure we don't ever forget. Plus…I know if I was petrified I wouldn't want to be alone during the holidays." he paused. "BB, do you want to-"

"I will go first," Starfire chimed, and Beast Boy gave a sigh of relief and shot her a look of thanks as he watched Starfire, looking strange in a pink sweater and a pair of jeans, step up to the statue and stand there looking very small for a moment before she spoke. "Terra…we miss you and we are joyously looking forward to the day when you are with us again," she said softly. She stepped back a bit and nodded to Robin, whose jacket and cargo pants were far too big for him, and he scratched the back of his head a bit, looking a bit awkward speaking to a girl made of stone.

"Like Starfire said we…we miss you. We're working on getting this condition reversed but…until then just…hang in there, Terra," he said, getting a bit less awkward. "Cyborg, go ahead."

"Alright then. Terra, we miss having you around. I know it's just not the same for any of us since you…well…since this happened. I know I'll be pretty happy when we can just hang out again. I miss you too, T." he paused. "Raven, you want to-"

"She's a rock, Cyborg," Raven said. "She can't hear us. Standing here making small talk with a boulder is pointless because it's only making it harder for all of us to keep dealing with this." this moment of vulnerability showed Raven's difficulty with the whole situation for a moment, and Beast Boy was suddenly glad that he wasn't the only one who had secret issues with letting go. "It's been bad enough letting it heal, and now you think coming back here and opening the wounds again is going to help?"

Robin gave an inaudible sigh of frustration and shook his head. "Raven, this isn't about opening the wounds. This is about reminding ourselves of how fragile life can be, and how easy it is to lose someone. We're all lucky to be here, to be alive, to just…all be together. We're here to make sure we'll never forget. Isn't Christmas about family? Well, we em are /em a family, and Terra may be gone, but she's still part of this family. And I'm going to make sure we em never /em forget that."

There was a pause, and then Raven nodded. "Alright. Terra, I'm…sorry it had to happen like this. You didn't deserve it…" she paused again, and snow began to drift downward through the gaps between the rafters and land on her hair and the black sweater she was wearing. Like Starfire, she was also wearing jeans, and if this were a less serious situation, Beast Boy would probably be teasing the Azarathian for it, but instead he only stood there in silence and watched her struggle with her words. "I guess things just…well…sometimes they don't happen the way they should, and we're all sorry that they did." she stopped, and then said in a very small voice. "We…I do miss you." she turned around, violet eyes on the only Titan who had not yet spoken. "Beast Boy," she said, nodding.

Beast Boy gulped and then nodded back. He stopped. "Guys…you can head home. I'll catch up, okay?" he asked. The other four nodded simultaneously and then Beast Boy could hear them departing as he turned once more to face the stone memorial. "Um…okay, Terra. We all really do miss you. I miss you a lot. I know you think I'm probably still mad at you for what you did… working for Slade and all…and I guess I kinda am but…I forgive you. It's not the same without you around, ya know? We all miss you a lot…even Raven. We'll bring you back, I promise. But until then…we're all thinking of you." feeling very childish, Beast Boy hopped up onto the base of the statue, pulling the scarf from around his neck and wrapping it around the neck of the stony girl so she wouldn't get cold. "I won't ever, ever forget you, Terra." she climbed back down and stood there watching the silent, stone face for a moment. "Merry Christmas, Terra."

And then he gave her a smile and turned around. He jumped several feet in the air when he saw Raven standing there a few feet behind him, arms crossed. "What are you still doing here?" he asked, slightly shaken.

"Didn't want you to have to go back alone," Raven explained coolly. Beast Boy nodded.

"Oh, okay," he said, casting one last look at the statue.

"Are you alright?" Raven asked him, her calculating violet stare still on him.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm…I'm okay. Let's go home."

The two of them set off walking down through the path of twisted rock together, back down to the smoother part of the path where it was easier to stay on their feet. They walked in silence, and then Beast Boy was hit with surprise when suddenly Raven's arm slipped itself around his shoulders.

"Uh…" he said, but Raven didn't show any signs of embarrassment or backing down. He slowly grew accustomed to the unexpected presence of her arm and then smiled slightly and returned the gesture, the cool material of his sweatshirt and the skin underneath slowly warming against her.

"Merry Christmas, Beast Boy," she said, actually giving him a smile and surprising him.

"Merry Christmas, Raven," he said, smiling back and leaning into her a bit more as they continued the journey toward home.

**END**


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